Maria sat quietly in her room, still thinking about everything that had happened. Her mind was filled with questions about the mysterious blue-eyed woman, the ruined book, Rathi's death, and the secrets surrounding her own past. She felt as though every answer she found only opened another question.
Unable to sit still any longer, Maria slowly walked toward the window. She looked outside and noticed Cathy and Johan sitting together in the garden. Cathy was resting her head on Johan's chest as they talked quietly.
A small smile appeared on Maria's face.
She was genuinely happy to see Johan slowly returning to his normal self. After Jenifer's death, he had been deeply affected, but Cathy had stayed beside him and helped him through those difficult days. Seeing them together gave Maria a sense of relief.
But that happiness lasted only for a moment.
Maria's expression slowly changed as she thought about herself. She still couldn't forget Nick. No matter how much time passed, the memories of him remained in her mind. Now, with everything happening around her, she felt more alone than ever.
Everyone has someone, she thought. Johan has Cathy... but who do I have?
She knew Cathy would never leave her, but even that thought couldn't completely erase the emptiness inside her.
Just then, something caught her attention.
Behind the garden gate, Maria noticed a mysterious shadow.
It belonged to a woman.
Maria's heart immediately began to race. The shape standing beyond the gate reminded her of the mysterious woman who had been following her.
She didn't want to waste another second.
"Cathy! Johan!" Maria shouted from the window.
Both of them immediately turned toward her.
"What happened?" Johan asked.
"There's someone behind the gate!" Maria shouted.
Cathy and Johan quickly stood up and moved toward the garden gate. Johan opened it cautiously, while Cathy stood beside him.
But instead of the terrifying figure Maria had expected, a young woman was standing outside.
Johan stared at her in confusion.
He had never expected to see her there.
Maria watched from the window, equally surprised. But then, to her astonishment, a smile appeared on her face.
Cathy's expression changed completely.
She looked genuinely happy.
Without hesitation, Cathy rushed toward the young woman and hugged her tightly.
"Sophie!" Cathy exclaimed.
Maria's eyes widened.
Johan suddenly understood.
He looked at the young woman again, his expression filled with surprise.
"Sophie..." he whispered.
The name immediately brought back everything.
She was Nick's sister.
For a moment, nobody said anything.
The woman who had disappeared from their lives after Nick's death was standing before them again.
And none of them knew why she had returned.
Maria and Cathy brought Sophie inside the house. For the first time in a long while, the atmosphere seemed a little lighter. They sat together and spent their time talking about Nick and the memories they had shared during their college days.
They laughed at some of the old memories, but there was always a quiet sadness whenever Nick's name was mentioned.
After a while, Maria looked at Sophie and asked gently, "Are you alright now?"
Sophie gave her a small smile.
"Yes. I'm alright now."
Maria felt relieved hearing those words. She had always remembered Sophie as the quiet girl who had been devastated after losing her parents and later her brother. Seeing her sitting there calmly made Maria feel that perhaps Sophie had finally found some peace.
"Where are you staying now?" Maria asked.
"I came back here," Sophie replied. "I'm staying at my old home."
Maria and Cathy exchanged a brief glance.
Neither of them told Sophie about the mysterious woman.
They didn't mention Rathi.
They didn't mention the destroyed book.
They didn't mention the strange events that had been happening around Maria.
For the moment, they decided to keep everything hidden.
But Johan had barely spoken.
He sat a little away from them, watching Sophie carefully.
His eyes followed every movement she made.
Something about her was bothering him.
He couldn't explain what it was, but the feeling became stronger the longer he watched her.
Then, suddenly, Johan's expression changed.
His eyes widened.
"No..." he whispered.
Nobody noticed.
He quickly looked away and remained silent.
After spending some time with Maria and Cathy, Sophie finally decided to leave.
She stood near the doorway and smiled at them.
"I'm glad I came back," she said. "It was good seeing both of you again."
Before leaving, Sophie gave Maria and Cathy her address.
"If you both have time, come over for dinner sometime," she said. "I'd really like that."
"We will," Cathy replied happily.
Sophie smiled, walked outside and got into her car.
Maria and Cathy stood at the entrance and watched as the car slowly disappeared down the road.
For a moment, they simply looked at each other.
"She really has changed," Maria said softly.
Cathy smiled.
"I'm just happy she's alright."
The two of them returned inside and went back to their room.
But Johan didn't join them.
A few minutes later, Cathy's phone rang.
It was Johan.
Maria glanced at her.
"Again?" she said with a small smile. "Johan can't stay away from you for even a minute. Go and spend some time with him."
Cathy laughed softly.
"Okay. I'll be back."
She left the room and walked toward Johan's room.
When she entered, she immediately noticed something was wrong.
Johan was standing near the window.
His face was pale.
He looked confused.
But beneath the confusion was something else—fear.
And determination.
Cathy slowly approached him.
"Johan? What happened?"
He didn't answer.
"Johan?"
He suddenly turned toward her.
His eyes were fixed on hers.
For several seconds, he remained completely silent.
Then he spoke.
"I found her."
Cathy froze.
"Found who?"
Johan took a slow breath.
"The mysterious blue-eyed woman."
Cathy's face changed instantly.
"What?"
"I know who she is."
Cathy stared at him, unable to speak.
"How?" she finally asked. "How did you find her?"
Johan stepped closer.
"I didn't find her by searching for her."
He paused.
"I found her because she came looking for us."
Cathy's expression became tense.
"What are you talking about?"
Johan looked toward the closed door, as though he was afraid someone might be listening.
Then he lowered his voice.
"Cathy... think about what just happened."
Cathy remained silent.
"The woman we've been searching for has always appeared whenever something connected to Maria's past was uncovered."
"The book."
"Rathi."
"Nick."
"Jenifer."
Johan's voice became quieter with every word.
"And now..."
He stopped.
Cathy stared at him.
"Now what?"
Johan looked directly into her eyes.
"Sophie."
Cathy's face went completely still.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then Johan whispered,
"I think we have been looking in the wrong direction all this time."
Cathy's heart began to pound.
"What did you notice about Sophie?"
Johan didn't answer immediately.
Johan remained standing near the window, his expression serious.
"Cathy," he said quietly, "you told me about Nick and Sophie. You said they lost their parents when they were children. Right?"
Cathy nodded.
"Yes. Nick told Maria about it. Sophie also lost her parents when she was very young."
Johan slowly turned toward her.
"Then think about what Henry and Silane told us."
Cathy frowned.
"What are you trying to say?"
Johan took a deep breath.
"Grendle and Gore."
Cathy suddenly became still.
Johan continued, "They were the children of Ash and Raven. Grendle was about two years old, and Gore was only a baby when everything happened. Then Ash and Raven were captured. Their children were left behind."
Cathy stared at him.
"Johan..."
"Think carefully," he said. "Nick and Sophie lost their parents when they were children. Grendle and Gore lost their parents when they were children. And after Grendle and Gore disappeared from the story, Nick and Sophie appeared in Maria's life."
Cathy's eyes widened.
Johan's voice became almost a whisper.
"I believe Grendle is Nick."
Cathy couldn't respond.
"And Gore..." Johan paused. "I believe Gore is Sophie."
The words seemed to echo through the silent room.
Cathy slowly sat down.
"No..."
But even as she said it, the pieces began falling into place.
Ash and Raven had been practicing black magic.
Their children had been present during the ritual involving Maria.
They had lost their parents when they were very young.
And years later, Maria met two siblings who had also lost their parents in childhood.
Cathy looked at Johan in disbelief.
"You really believe Nick and Sophie were Grendle and Gore?"
"I don't just believe it," Johan replied. "I think everything we've been seeing is connected to that possibility."
The evening outside had become strangely quiet. There was barely any sound from the garden. Even the house seemed unusually still.
Cathy stood up.
"We have to tell Maria."
She moved toward the door.
Johan immediately stopped her.
"No."
Cathy turned around.
"Why?"
"She won't believe us," Johan said. "Not yet. Think about it. Maria has already lost Nick. If we suddenly tell her that Nick might actually be Grendle, one of the children of Ash and Raven, she may think we're only confusing her."
Cathy hesitated.
"But if it's true, Maria deserves to know."
"She will," Johan said firmly. "But first we need proof."
Cathy looked down for a moment.
Then another question came to her mind.
"If Nick really is Grendle... then why was Nick murdered?"
Johan's expression darkened.
"I don't know."
"You've thought about everything else. How can you not know that?"
"Because that's the part that doesn't make sense."
Johan looked toward the window.
"But there's something else."
Cathy looked at him.
"What?"
Johan spoke slowly.
"I don't believe Nick is dead."
Cathy's eyes widened.
"What?"
"I know what we saw," Johan said. "I know everyone believes Nick died that night. But if you're right about Sophie being Gore..."
He paused.
"Then Grendle would be Nick."
Cathy stared at him.
Johan continued, "And if Grendle survived everything that happened to Ash and Raven, then Nick could have survived too."
Cathy shook her head slightly.
"But we saw him..."
"I know."
"Then how can he be alive?"
"I don't know," Johan admitted. "But remember what we discovered about Ash and Raven. They weren't ordinary people. They practiced black magic. They performed rituals. They believed they could control minds and use supernatural powers."
Cathy remained silent.
Johan's voice became quieter.
"If their children inherited anything from them... then Nick and Sophie may know far more than we've ever imagined."
Cathy slowly looked toward the door.
For the first time, she wasn't thinking only about the mysterious blue-eyed woman.
She was thinking about Nick.
The person Maria had believed she had lost forever.
Cathy finally nodded.
"I'm not going to tell Maria."
Johan looked relieved.
"Not until we know the truth."
He quickly asked Cathy for Sophie's address.
She gave it to him.
Johan immediately saved it on his phone.
"Tonight," he said.
Cathy looked at him.
"Tonight?"
"I'm going to Sophie's house."
"You're going alone?"
"No."
Johan walked out of the room without another word.
A few minutes later, he entered Roshan's room and closed the door behind him.
Roshan looked up.
"What happened?"
Johan sat down beside him.
"I think we've discovered something about Nick and Sophie."
Roshan immediately became serious.
Johan told him everything—the story of Grendle and Gore, the loss of Ash and Raven, Nick and Sophie's childhood, and the possibility that the two identities might actually belong to the same two children.
Roshan listened without interrupting.
When Johan finished, there was a long silence.
Then Roshan slowly shook his head.
"That actually makes sense."
"I know," Johan replied. "And that's what scares me."
Roshan looked at Sophie's address on Johan's phone.
"So we're going there tonight?"
Johan nodded.
"We need answers."
Roshan stood up.
"Then let's go."
Neither of them noticed the faint movement outside the room.
For just a second, a shadow passed across the hallway.
Then everything became still again.
Johan looked toward the door.
"Did you hear that?"
Roshan turned.
The hallway was empty.
"Probably nothing."
Johan stared into the darkness for another moment.
Then he looked back at Roshan.
"Let's hope it is."
After dinner, everyone eventually decided to go to bed.
Maria returned to her room, but sleep refused to come. She sat on the edge of her bed and tried once again to put the torn pieces of the mysterious book together. She carefully joined one piece to another, but nothing seemed to make sense. Some pieces were missing, and the remaining fragments were too damaged to understand.
Finally, exhausted and frustrated, Maria gave up.
She placed the pieces beside her, lay down, and closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, Silane and Henry went to their room. Within a short time, the house became completely silent.
Cathy remained in her room for a while.
Then she quietly opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
She first checked Maria's room.
Maria appeared to be asleep.
Cathy then quietly checked her parents' room. She listened for a moment and confirmed that Henry and Silane were also sleeping.
Only then did she walk toward Johan's room.
Inside, Johan and Roshan were already waiting.
Cathy entered and quietly closed the door behind her.
"They're all asleep," she whispered. "You can go now."
Johan nodded.
But Cathy hesitated.
"Johan..."
He looked at her.
"Can I come with you?"
There was worry in her voice.
Johan understood immediately.
"I know you're worried about us," he said. "And I know you're scared because we're going to Sophie's house. But if something goes wrong, you'll be in danger too."
Cathy looked at him silently.
Johan continued, "Stay here. If Sophie sees us, we'll deal with it. But I don't want you getting involved."
Cathy reluctantly nodded.
"Please be careful."
"I will."
Before they left, Cathy gave Johan a quick kiss and whispered, "Be safe. And if she sees you, don't take any chances. Come back immediately."
Johan nodded.
Roshan opened the door.
The two of them quietly left the house and got into the car.
Cathy remained outside, watching as the headlights disappeared down the road.
She stood there for several seconds after the car was gone.
Then she slowly returned inside.
Hours passed.
The entire house was silent.
Everyone was asleep.
Everyone except Maria.
She kept turning restlessly in her bed, unable to escape the thoughts running through her mind.
Eventually, she opened her eyes and stared into the darkness.
At the same time, Johan and Roshan finally reached their destination.
They parked the car some distance away from Sophie's house and switched off the lights.
Neither of them spoke.
They got out and quietly walked toward the house.
As they approached the gate, Johan stopped.
A name was clearly written on a metal plate beside the entrance:
NICK AND SOPHIE'S HOME
Johan and Roshan exchanged a look.
There was no doubt.
This was Sophie's house.
They quietly opened the gate and stepped inside.
Johan tried the front door.
Locked.
Roshan checked the surrounding area.
"She's not here," he whispered.
Johan looked around.
"If she's away, this may be our only chance."
They moved around the house carefully.
Then Roshan noticed something unusual.
"Johan... look."
Behind the house was a small door built into the ground.
It looked like the entrance to a basement.
Johan approached it.
He tried the handle.
It opened.
The two exchanged a nervous glance.
Neither of them knew what they were about to find.
But they had come looking for answers.
Slowly, they descended into the darkness.
Meanwhile, Maria still couldn't sleep.
She finally got out of bed and walked toward the window.
She wanted some fresh air.
She opened the curtain.
And froze.
Someone was standing in the garden.
A woman.
Maria's heart began pounding.
The figure stood silently beneath the darkness.
Her face wasn't clear.
But those eyes were unmistakable.
Blue eyes.
Maria stepped backward from the window.
It was her.
The mysterious woman.
But this time, something else caught Maria's attention.
Even though she couldn't clearly see the woman's face, the shape of it seemed strangely familiar.
Maria stared at her.
"Who are you...?"
The woman slowly turned toward the house.
Then she began walking.
Straight toward the door.
Maria's breathing became unsteady.
She quickly moved away from the window and returned to her bed.
She pulled the blanket over herself and closed her eyes.
She pretended to be asleep.
A few seconds later—
Click.
The front door opened.
Maria remained perfectly still.
Then she heard footsteps.
Slow footsteps.
Coming from the hallway.
One step.
Then another.
The sound gradually moved closer.
Maria's heart raced as she remembered the woman's strange words from the previous night.
The demon eyes...
She wondered whether the woman had returned because of the power hidden within those eyes.
The footsteps reached the staircase.
Then—
creak...
Someone began climbing.
Maria didn't move.
She kept her eyes closed and pretended to be sleeping.
The footsteps continued upward.
Closer.
Closer.
Until finally, they stopped outside Maria's room.
Silence.
Maria lay completely still.
She could hear nothing except her own breathing.
Then the bedroom door began to move.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
And Maria realized that someone was standing on the other side.
Meanwhile, beneath Sophie's house, Johan and Roshan were still searching the basement when they suddenly heard something outside.
A car had arrived in front of the house.
Its headlights switched off.
Neither Johan nor Roshan noticed.
A few moments later, the front door of the house opened.
The sound echoed through the silent building.
Johan and Roshan immediately froze.
Someone had entered.
Then the lights came on.
Both of them stared toward the doorway.
It was Sophie.
She stood there, looking at them in complete confusion.
"What are you doing in my house?" she asked. "You're Maria's cousins, aren't you? Why are you here?"
Johan and Roshan exchanged a frightened glance.
They didn't know what to say.
For a moment, they wondered whether they had made a terrible mistake.
Was Sophie pretending?
Was she really the mysterious blue-eyed woman?
Neither of them wanted to find out.
"Run!" Johan whispered.
The two immediately rushed toward the exit.
Sophie stood there, completely bewildered, watching them run out of her house.
They reached the car and were about to get inside when Roshan suddenly stopped.
"Johan..."
Johan turned.
All four tires of their car had been punctured.
Their expressions changed.
Someone had deliberately made sure they couldn't leave.
"This isn't good," Roshan whispered.
Before either of them could react, they heard footsteps behind them.
Sophie had followed them outside.
She walked toward them and gently touched Johan's shoulder.
Both men panicked.
They turned around and fell backward in fear.
Sophie stared at them.
"Why are you so scared of me?"
Johan looked at her for several seconds.
Then, with no other choice, he finally said what had been on his mind.
"We know who you are."
Sophie looked confused.
"You're Gore," Johan said. "And Nick was Grendle. Tell me the truth. Where is Nick? I know he's alive."
Sophie stared at him in disbelief.
"What?"
"My brother is dead," she said. "Nick died. He's gone."
Johan remained silent.
Sophie continued, "I don't know who Grendle and Gore are. I don't understand what you're talking about."
Roshan looked at Johan.
Johan slowly realized that something was wrong with his theory.
Sophie didn't seem frightened.
She didn't seem to be pretending.
She genuinely had no idea what they were talking about.
"You really don't know?" Johan asked.
"No," Sophie replied. "I don't even understand why you're inside my house in the first place."
Johan and Roshan exchanged another look.
Slowly, they began to relax.
Their theory had been wrong.
Sophie wasn't Gore.
And if Sophie wasn't Gore, then Nick wasn't Grendle.
But that created an even bigger question.
Johan slowly stood up.
"Then who are Grendle and Gore?"
Sophie shook her head.
"I don't know."
The three stood silently outside the house.
Then—
BOOM!
A sudden thunderclap shook the night.
All three looked toward the darkness.
Lightning flashed across the sky.
For one brief second, the entire area was illuminated.
And there, in the distance, stood a man.
He was completely motionless.
His face could not be seen clearly.
But something in his hand caught the lightning.
A large sword.
Johan's blood ran cold.
Roshan stared at the figure.
Sophie stepped backward.
"Who is that?" she whispered.
The man didn't move.
He simply stood there, watching them.
Another flash of lightning lit the darkness.
This time, he seemed closer.
"Inside!" Johan shouted.
The three ran toward the house.
They rushed through the doorway, slammed it shut and locked it.
Sophie stood against the wall, breathing heavily.
Roshan looked through the window.
The man was no longer where they had seen him.
"Where did he go?" Roshan whispered.
Johan didn't answer.
He was staring at the locked door.
Then they heard it.
Knock.
Everyone froze.
Another knock.
Knock... knock...
Sophie looked at Johan.
"Is he outside?"
Johan slowly raised a finger to his lips.
Nobody spoke.
Then the knocking stopped.
For several seconds, there was complete silence.
And then, from somewhere outside the house, came the faint sound of metal dragging across the ground.
Johan looked at Roshan.
Whatever they had come to Sophie's house to discover...
they had just found something far more dangerous.
At the same time, Maria was also pretending to be asleep. Her eyes were closed, but she was still awake, listening carefully to everything around her.
Then she heard it.
Footsteps.
The sound of someone walking slowly near her bed.
Maria remained completely still. She didn't dare to open her eyes. The footsteps came closer and closer until they finally stopped beside her.
For a moment, there was complete silence.
Then Maria heard a voice.
It wasn't a normal voice.
It was terrifying and unnatural, a voice that sent a chill through her entire body.
"My dear Maria... I know that you are not sleeping. Get up."
Maria froze.
Sweat began running down her face continuously. Her heart was beating so loudly that she could hear it clearly in the silence of the room.
Slowly, Maria opened her eyes.
And then she saw her.
The mysterious woman.
The black-shadowed woman was standing right beside her bed.
Maria had never faced the mysterious woman this closely before.
She was terrified.
The surroundings were extremely dark, and Maria couldn't see the woman's face clearly. Her features were hidden within the darkness.
But her eyes...
Maria could see them clearly.
Those strange, terrifying blue eyes were staring directly at her.
Maria's fear grew stronger.
She slowly moved away from the bed, trying not to make any sudden movement. Step by step, she moved backward until her back reached the wall.
She couldn't take her eyes away from the woman.
The mysterious woman slowly approached her.
One step.
Then another.
The blue eyes came closer and closer.
Maria's entire body was trembling. Her breathing became heavier, and her heartbeat seemed louder with every passing second.
The woman continued approaching her.
Maria was completely frightened.
She didn't know what to do.
She didn't know who this woman was.
And she didn't know what she wanted from her.
The blue eyes were getting closer.
Maria suddenly turned around and switched on the light.
The room instantly became bright.
She quickly turned back toward the woman.
And then—
Maria's eyes widened.
She froze.
She couldn't believe her eyes.
She simply stood there, staring at what was in front of her.
Her mind went completely blank.
For a few seconds, Maria couldn't even move.
She was face-to-face with the mystery she had been running from for so long.
And now, for the first time, she was finally looking directly at her.
But what Maria saw in that moment was something she could never have imagined.
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